RTD erred on FasTracks rail conflict in Boulder corridor
By Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published March 6, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
Updated March 6, 2008 at 12:03 a.m.
RTD said Wednesday it was mistaken when it said this week that a railroad proposal would prevent FasTracks trains from running between Denver and Boulder during midday hours.
The proposal from Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway for joint operations with RTD on its tracks would prohibit passenger trains on the Boulder-to-Longmont segment from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FasTracks spokeswoman Pauletta Tonilas said a staff member "incorrectly presented" the proposal at an RTD board committee meeting on Tuesday.
"RTD continues to propose all-day service between Denver and Boulder, with hourly off- peak service, including midday, and 30-minute peak service," the agency said in a statement. "BNSF has committed to negotiating this operating scenario for the Denver-Boulder segment of the corridor."
The $684.4 million, 41-mile line would use BNSF's existing single track and add a second track between Denver and Boulder. The second track would permit RTD to continue commuter service throughout the day while BNSF serves its freight customers.
But the existing single track between Boulder and Longmont would be closed to passenger service for four hours during the day for freight trains and maintenance.
RTD is examining an option to add a second track to that segment, which would permit hourly passenger train service on it. Estimates, however, are that it would add $45 million to the project costs.
RTD is still in negotiation with BNSF on operations on the Northwest Rail Corridor and the FasTracks Gold Line to Arvada and Wheat Ridge, and said the current proposal is subject to change.
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March 6, 2008
4:04 a.m.
Suggest removal
gwats writes:
RTD should stand for Ride That Dog on the Cheap.
March 8, 2008
12:05 p.m.
Suggest removal
prk166 writes:
$684.4 upfront + ongoing costs to improve transit service between Denver and Boulder? Has RTD ever shown that there is an improvement? How much of an improvement will there be if there is one?